Adjustable bracket for sliding table top



3 Sheets-Sheet l ,R. r mm um w 1 J- 4 K K. J. DRAXLER 'VIIIIIIIII ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR SLIDING TABLE TOP Nov. 15, 1955 Filed April 30, 1954 A 7' TORNEK Nov. 15, 1955 ADJUSTABLE Filed April 30, 1954 BRACKET FOR SLIDING TABLE TOP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 f) 4! a .2; W 2 4.4 39 4 a;

KARL J. DRAXLER,

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEK Nov. 15, 1955 DRAXLER 2,723,891

ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR SLIDING TABLE TOP Filed April 30, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I.

KA RL J. ORA X LER,

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEK Ullltd StiltCS Pat t c 2,723,891 ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR SLIDING TABLE TOP Karl J. Draxler, Los Angeles, Application April 30, 1954, Serial No. 426,711 3 Claims. or. 311-108) V The invention relates to an adjustable bracket for a sliding table top and more particularly relates to improvements in the sliding table top construction of my Patent 2,307,396 issued January 5, 1943, and in the sliding table top bracket of my Patent 2,659,641 issued November 17, 1953.

The patent first mentioned specifically shows a shelf secured to the table top and adapted to underlie a subtop, for universal horizontal sliding movement of the table top, while the second patent discloses and claims a plurality of brackets whichcanbe secured at opposite sides of the table, each bracket having an arm adapted to underlie the sub-top and permit sliding movement of the table top, while preventing it from tipping.

While the brackets of the second patent have proven satisfactory, they have a number of disadvantages. After the bracket has been secured to the underside of the table top, it may be found that the upper surface of its arm does not lie parallel to the underside .of the sub-top. If the bracket when in position is tilted so that only its outer end contacts the underside of the sub-top, when the table top is pushed off center, then if one pushes down or raises up on the opposite side of the table top, the whole force of this acts through an effort arm which is the full length of the bracket arm which increases the likelihood that in the course of time the bracket may be pried loose from the screws which hold it to the table top. If the bracket bracket arm and the underside of the sub-top. This permits the table top to slide without undue wobbling up and down. This clearance may not exist after the former type of bracket has been mounted in place, due to unevenness or Warping of the sub-top or of the table top, or this warping may occur after the table has been in use for some time. Also felt pads are provided at the top of the sub-top to facilitate sliding movement ofthe table top and these felt pads may not be of uniform thickness which interferes with obtaining the proper spacing and inclination of the bracket arm.

The above disadvantages are overcome according to the present invention which provides an improved form of bracket which makes it possible to adjust the spacing ofthe top of the bracket arm from the underside of the table top so that it will underlie the sub-top with the proper spacing and extend parallel to the underside of the sub-top.

As adjusting means are provided for positioning the bracket arm, this adjusting means may be operated at any time during the construction or later use of the table. For further details of the invention reference may be made to the drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side view in for its sliding table top.

2,723,891 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 ice Fig. 2'is a sectional view on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a booth having a sliding table top.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the table and showing in side elevation one of the brackets in Figs. 1 and 2. p l

Fig. 5 is an explodedperspective view of the bracket 0fFig., 4;

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 showing modified and preferred form of bracket. 7

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the broken line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side view in elevation of a table having a further modification or bridge type of bracket.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8, looking at the bottom of the table.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the bracket at one end of the bridge arm in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on line 1111 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on line 1212 of Fig. 11.

The above views are in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket of Figs. 10 to 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the sliding table top 1 is shown as rectangular, with an adjustable bracket indicated'at 2, 3, 4 and 5, at each side of the table. The table has a rectangular sub-top 6 having four felt pads as indicated at 7, one at each of its corners, these pads being glued or otherwise fixed to the sub-top 6 and provide a sliding support for the table top 1. The sub-top 6 is suitably fixed to the top of a pedestal 8 having a base 9'fixed to the floor by bolts or screws indicated at 10. If it is desired to remove the table top 1 at certain times from the sub-top 6, the brackets 2 to 5 are mounted as shown, with their inner ends like 11 and 12 as shown inFigs. 1 and 2 spaced outwardly from the edge of the sub-top, the brackets 2 and 4 being similarly arranged. a

Fig'. 3 illustrates a booth or the like having a U-shaped seat'13 wherein the table top 1 has been displaced laterally with respect to the sub-top 6 so as to allow more room for entering or leaving the rear and one side of seat 13. After they are seated, the top 1 can be moved laterally to the right so as to facilitate entering or leaving the other side of the seat. This is true with all forms of the bracket shown and is further described in the above patents.

Each of the brackets 2 to 5 is of the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and is preferably of sheet metal. The bracket 3 here illustrated comprises -a base member in the, form of two companion or opposite sheet metal members 14 and 15 each having a bent-over flat base indicated at 16 and 17, these bases extending in opposite directions, and these bases having screw apertures like 18 and 19 for securing the members 14 and 15 to the underside of the table top and spaced apart to provide a pocket receiving an operating arm 20. A similar operating arm 21 may be used outside of the base member 14 and a third and similar operating arm 22 may be used outside of the base member 15. Each base member like 14 has a downwardly and inwardly extending support arm like 23 and 24 each having at its outer end a bolt aperture like 25 and 26 for a bolt 43, see Fig. 4, which passes through the downwardly and inwardly inclined slots 27, 28 and 29 in the three operating arms. The inner end of each operating arm has a bolt aperture as shown at 30, 31 and 32 for a bolt 33, see Fig. 4, which passes through the inclined slots 34 and 35 at the inner end of the base members 14 and 15. The slots 27 to 29 overlie eachother andthe same is true of slots 34 and 35,

.all .of thesev slots being parallelto each other. The reason for this inclination of the slots is that if we assume that the left end not shown of the table top 1 is pushed down, the force on the operating .arms like 22 against the bolt 43 and 33 is crosswise of their respective slots and hence has little or no tendency to slide the operating arms to 22 with respect to their base members 14 and 15.

Each of the operating arms 20 to 22 has a flat .upper surface like 36, 37 and 38 and these surfaces remain in the same plane as the operating arms are moved up or down, the bolt 43 riding along the slots 27 to 29, the bolt 33 riding along the slots 34 and 35. As the outer slots 34, 35 are slightly wider than the diameter of the bolts 33 and 43, the angle of tilt as well as the elevation of the operating arms 36 to 38 can be adjusted. This adjustment of the arms 20 to 22 to change their elevation also moves them in or out with respect to the edge of the sub-top 6 and hence the bases 16 and 17 must be positioned with reasonable accuracy before securing them to the table top with screws like 39 and 40, as it is desired that these arms when adjusted should position their ends like 11 abutting the edge of the sub-top 6, to permit removal of the table top 1. After the upper surface, 36 to 38 of each of the arms 20 to 22 for each of the brackets 2 to 5 are adjusted to lie substantially parallel to the underside of the sub-top 6, and slightly spaced therefrom as above described, the bolts like 33 and 43 are tightened to hold the operating arms of the brackets 2 to 5 in this position. Bumper 44 is made of continuous cord or extruded rubber or the like and secured by nails 45 to the table top. In addition to being a bumper, this cord serves as an enclosure preventing the possibility of the table tops being pulled ofi its sub-top in certain positions and also serving as a rail-like protuberance facilitating the gripping of the table top by finger tips when the top is to be pulled to the user.

In the preferred modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the base member 46 comprises two bases 47 and 48 each having an integral downwardly and laterally extending support arm 49 and 50 in the form of castings of aluminum or other metal, although a stamping of sheet metal could also be used, slightly changing the shape of the bracket base only. The base 47 has an aperture 51 for a screw 52 and the base 48 has a similar screw 53 these screws securing their bases 47 and 48 to the underside of the table top 1 in abutting relation. The adjacent sides of the companion bases 47 and 48 and of the companion arms 49 and 50 lie substantially in a vertical plane and lit together in abutting relation indicated by the line 54. The outer end of arm 49 is cast or provided with a depression 55 and the arm 50 is provided with a similar depression 56, these depressions forming an upright vertical pocket 57 in which the flat metal operating arm 58 fits. The bolts 59 and 60 are mounted, longitudinally spaced, in apertures in the outer ends of the support arms 49 and 50 and receive the slot 61 in the operating arm 58. Slot 61 is longer than the distance between bolts 59 and 60 and it has a greater upright width than these bolts. This permits a two-fold adjustment of the arm 58, namely an adjustment vertically for sliding engagement with the underside of the sub-top 6 while being extensible to define openings of different sizes corresponding to sub-tops of those sizes. Thus the bracket is of universal application to sub-tops of ditferent sizes. Arm 58 has a substantially fiat upper surface 63 and is adjusted with its surface 63 in elevated position above the support arms 49 and 50 and substantially parallel to the underside of the sub-top 6, being held in adjusted position by bolts 59, 60. The bracket shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be used at each side of the table as a substitute for each of the brackets 2 to 5 in Fig. 2. A bumper 64 may be provided as described above.

In the bridge form of bracket shown in Figs. 8 to 13, there are provided two operating arms or bridge arms and 71 which extend from one side of the sub-top 6 to the other, each arm having at each end thereof a bracket as shown in Figs.'10 to 13. The brackets at the opposite ends of arm 70 are indicated at 72 and 73 and those at the opposite ends of arm 71 are indicated at 74 and 75. Each of the arms 70 and 71 is in the form of a U-channel, see Figs. 12 and 13. The base member 77 is in the form of an upright hollow sheet metal member having opposite flanges 78 and 79 each having a screw aperture like 80 for the screws 98, 99, to hold the brackets under the table as previously described. The base member 77 has three upright rectangular vertical walls, 66, 67, 88 in which slidingly fits the hollow sheet metal slide 81 which is somewhat rectangular with its front wall 82 having a tongue 83 which fits in the U-channel of the arm like 70 as shown in Fig. 12. Also the wall 82 adjacent the opposite sides of the top of tongue 83 has horizontal shoulder portions 84 and '85 which rest on the top of the flanges 86 and 87 of the U-channel 70. The front wall 88 of the base member 77 has an upright slot 89 to receive a bolt 90 which passes through aperture 91 in the front wall 92 of the slide 81, with thread engagement with the nut 93. Nut 93 has a rectangular head 94 which fits inside of slide 81 to prevent turning and clamps the wall 92 against the wall 88 in adjusted elevated position. The nut 93 has a stem 95 which fits in the end of the U-channel 70. The distance between the shoulders 84 and of the slide 81 and the inwardly extending wall 96 of the slide 81 is substantially the same as the height of the U-channel 70 so that the bottom 97 of the U-channel 70 rests on the top of the wall 96 with flanges 86 and 87 resting against shoulders 84 and 85, respectively when the parts are fitted together, as shown in Fig. 12. The U-channel operating arm 70 and the slide 81 thus move up and down together in the base member 77 and the arm 76 is held in adjusted elevated position by bolt and nut 93.

As above described, the flanges 86 and 87 have a substantially flat upper surface and the brackets 72 to 75 are adjusted so that these surfaces are slightly spaced below and substantially parallel to the underside of sub-top 6.

The bolts like 90 are each provided with a lock washer as indicated at 108. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the front wall 82 of the slide 81 is provided with an aperture 101 to receive a rubber bumper 102 which serves as an extra cushion.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims. for example, any one or any two of the arms 20 to 22 in Fig. 5 may be omitted, although three are preferred as shown, and these arms may be of diiferent lengths. Also, the table can stand by its own weight instead of being bolted to the floor. The bracket of Figs. 6 and 7 may be a stamping. The brackets may be of different offsets or sizes to suit different thicknesses of plywood or other sub-top material.

In the form shown in Figs. 8 to 13, the table top 1 cannot be removed from the sub-top 6 without removing some or all of the brackets 72 to 75. All forms of the invention provide an adjustable bracket for universal horizontal sliding movement of the table top.

I claim:

1. A bracket device comprising a vertically floating laterally extending arm, a support for one end of said arm, said support having a base having a fiat upper surface and screw apertures in said base, said arm and said support having cooperating slot and bolt means supporting said arm for adjusting the angle of tilt and elevation of the upper surface of said arm to extend offset below and substantially parallel to said surface of said base, said bolt means having nut means for clamping said arm to said support in adjusted position.

2. A bracket device comprising companion supports each having a base having a flat upper surface and each of said bases having an aperture for a screw for securing said bases in juxtaposition with said surfaces coextensive, and each of said bases having a downwardly offset laterally extending support arm, an operating arm fitting between said support arms, said operating arm having a fiat upper surface, said operating arm having an enlarged slot and cooperating bolt means carried by said support arms for adjusting the tilt and elevation of said operating arm to a position with its upper surface substantially parallel with and offset below the upper surface of said bases, said bolt means comprising means for clamping said operating arm to said support arms with said operating arm in adjusted position.

3. A bracket device comprising a pair of unitary metal members each having a base having a fiat upper surface, each of said bases having an aperture for a screw, each of said bases having a downwardly offset support arm projecting laterally from its base, said bases and said support arms fitting together in abutting relation with said upper surfaces coextensive and with an upright pocket between the outer ends of said support arms, a vertically adjustable operating arm fitting in said pocket, said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 315,949 Kundtz Apr. 14, 1885 1,547,301 Cordes July 28, 1925 2,456,835 Nash Dec. 21, 1948 2,565,065 Chakeres Aug. 21, 1951 2,659,641 Draxler Nov. 17, 1953 

